Rafael Nadal Wins Record Eighth French Open

Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand during the Men's Singles final match against David Ferrer at the French Open on Sunday.

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Originally published on June 9, 2013 12:58 pm

Rafael Nadal beat fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 to win a record eighth French Open title on Sunday.

Nadal is now the first man to win eight singles titles at the same Grand Slam tournament. He's also won more matches than any other player at the French Open, with 59 wins.

"I never even dreamed about this kind of thing happening," Nadal said in his on-court interview. "But here we are."

The Associated Press writes:

"Nadal came into the final with a 16-match winning streak on clay against Ferrer, who as a result was a big underdog playing in his first major final at age 31. Ferrer had a few chances to make Nadal uneasy but converted only three of 12 break points and double-faulted five times."

The match in the second set was briefly interrupted by a protester who jumped onto the court near Nadal carrying a flare. Security personnel wrestled the protester to the ground and quickly dragged him away, the AP says.